Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2011-2012 Request for Proposals (RFP) LCCMR ID: 195-G Project Title: Heightened Watershed Awareness in the Red River Category: G. Environmental Education Total Project Budget: $ $184,432 Proposed Project Time Period for the Funding Requested: 3 yrs, July 2011 - June 2014 Other Non-State Funds: $ 0 Summary: Establishment of an Environmental Sciences Program at the UM-Crookston with outreach activities including summer research opportunities for area teachers and a traveling workshop for teachers address watershed/water quality awareness. Katy Smith Name: U of MN - Crookston Sponsoring Organization: 2900 University Ave Address: Crookston MN 56723 218-281-8262 Telephone Number: katys@umn.edu Email http://www3.crk.umn.edu/faculty/S/Katy_Smith.html Web Address Location NW Region: Ecological Section: Red River Valley (251A) Statewide County Name: City / Township: _____ Funding Priorities _____ Multiple Benefits _____ Outcomes _____ Knowledge Base _____ Extent of Impact _____ Innovation _____ Scientific/Tech Basis _____ Urgency _____ Capacity Readiness _____ Leverage _____ Employment _______ TOTAL ______% Page 1 of 6 05/25/2010 LCCMR ID: 195-G
2011-2012 MAIN PROPOSAL PROJECT TITLE : Heightened watershed awareness in the Red River PROJECT STATEMENT This proposal addresses the need to train young scientists in environmental sciences as well as the need to increase environmental awareness from the community and ultimately improve not only the water quality of the Red River Basin and Lake Winnipeg, but the water, air, soil, and beyond quality as we move into the next century. The objective of the current proposal is to increase environmental awareness for all citizens by establishing environmental science curricula at UMC, teacher workshops, and research opportunities for K-12 teachers. As part of this program teachers and students would have the opportunity to work with laboratory equipment and participate in service learning opportunities to work with K-12 schools in the area. The goals and outcomes of the project are 1) Creation of environmental science research opportunities for elementary and high school teachers. 2) Implementation of service-learning activities for UMC students such as trips to high school and elementary classrooms and assisting with teacher workshops. 3) Conduct a traveling, 2-day environmental science workshop for educators to observe relationships between land use and water quality, environmental services, and ecosystem health within a watershed context. Many UM-Crookston (UMC) students come from the Red River Basin which feeds into Lake Winnipeg. Land use changes and nutrient inputs, especially phosphorus, in the Red River Basin have impacted Lake Winnipeg through decreased water quality. Through educating the broader community about how land use impacts water quality, we hope to improve the land use and thus water quality of the Red River Basin and ultimately Lake Winnipeg. In addition to local students, UMC also attracts students from out of the region and from other countries. These students come from urban and rural environments facing their own unique environmental issues. An environmental sciences program has been developed at the UM-Crookston campus and will begin as a program in the fall of 2010. The goals of this project will be achieved by offering scholarships to students entering our program, providing summer research experiences for teachers, having students involved in service learning activities (helping teachers in classroom, helping teachers implement environmental action plans ((1) use of safe water purification methods (algae’s, horseradish tree, etc…), development of buffers around parking lots, rain gardens, rain barrels, and evaluation of chemicals used in laboratories), and a field trip/workshop that would commence at UMC and travel to the eastern edge of the watershed in the headwaters where selected rivers begin as trout streams in the Boreal Forest, progress through the Deciduous Forest biome where rivers transition to warmer, walleye fisheries, and finally onto the flat, Red River Valley lake plain where rivers become meandering catfish rivers in an originally prairie landscape. Travel, food, and lodging costs will be provided by this grant. II. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES Activity 1: Recruitment of students into program B udget: $ ___10,000_____ Outcome Completion Date 1. High quality students working on their Environmental Sciences degree at June 2014 the University of Minnesota-Crookston The funds requested for this activity will be used to give 5 students $2,000 dollar scholarships that enter into our program. Activity 2: Environmental science research opportunities for teachers. Budget: $ ___104,250___ Outcome Completion Date 1. Teachers understanding environmental science research and implementing June 2013 new techniques into their classrooms as a result of their new understanding of this discipline Page 2 of 6 05/25/2010 LCCMR ID: 195-G
The funds requested for this activity will be used to provide hourly teacher salaries (up to $5,000) per teacher and fringe benefits for summer positions at the University of Minnesota at set at 9% of the salary. In addition there will be $2,000 available for the purchase of supplies need for these research activities and the summer research symposium where teachers and students will present results of their summers research to each other(note: this will not be given to the teachers, but rather used to purchase items needed in the teacher’s research). The requested funds will fund 5 teachers for 3 summers, so a total of 15 teachers would be involved in this activity over the duration of the project. Activity 3: Implementation of service-learning activities. Budget: $ __5,000_____ Outcome Completion Date 1. Students and teachers in K-12 would begin working on environmental June 2014 projects at their schools increasing their environmental awareness as well as the communities environmental awareness. The funds requested for this activity will be used for travel to schools, minimal supplies that will be used to show teachers how to apply for funds to implement environmental action plans, and photocopy expenses. Examples of service learning activities are given in the project statement. Approximately 16 students/year or a total of 48 undergraduates would do this for the duration of the project. Activity 4: Conduct a traveling, 2- day workshop Budget: $ __65,181.66___ Outcome Completion Date 1. Traveling workshop (1 each year) June 2014 Participants will observe land use/vegetation/topographic and water quality relationships along this transect. Participants (~30/year; total of 90) will hear Canadian environmental specialists describe water quality and related land use issues of Lake Winnipeg. Various speakers will inform participants along the way. During this 2-day workshop teachers will be given an assignment to develop environmental action plans with their students upon returning to their schools. Teachers will be provided with examples of action plans and information about how and where to write grants to receive funding for these action plans. III . PROJECT STRATEGY A. Project Team Katy Smith, U of MN, Crookston, Project coordinator (1 month summary salary will be paid) and Dan Svedarsky, NorthWest Research and Outreach Center, U of MN, Crookston, Co-Project coordinator, teachers from area schools, undergraduates to be enrolled in the environmental sciences program at UMC, B. Timeline Requirements This project will be completed in 3 years. C. Long-Term Strategy and Future Funding Needs As this program builds are produces environmental scientists and teachers that are more environmentally aware, we anticipate increase environmental awareness from the community and ultimately improved water, air, and soil quality of the Red River Basin and Lake Winnipeg and beyond as we move into the next century. As the reputation of the program builds recruiting of students into the program will come more naturally and the program will become self sustaining. After the program has built reputation tuition can be charged for the participation in the travelling workshop which would bring this program to a self sustaining position. Thus, funds requested are intended to attract students and teachers to the programs and build the reputation of the programs. We do not intend to utilize the commission as an ongoing source of funding for this project. The intent is to utilize this funding as seed money to start a self-sustaining program. Page 3 of 6 05/25/2010 LCCMR ID: 195-G
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